In 2021, Australian actor Nicole Kidman signed a lucrative deal with American cinema chain AMC to star in a one-minute commercial encouraging moviegoers to go back for the big-screen experience after COVID-19.

“Somehow heartbreak feels good in a place like this,” was the Hollywood A-lister’s signature dreamy, cheesy line, delivered in a strong Australian accent as she sits in an empty cinema in a black pinstriped jumpsuit.

The Expats star watches in awe as Jurassic World, La La Land and Wonder Woman clips play in the background.

“Magic,” she says.

Written by Oscar nominee Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, Captain Phillips) and directed by Fight Club’s cinematographer, with a reported overall cost of $US25 million to make, it triggered all kinds of splendid pop culture moments and parodies, as fans fell in love with everything from the corny script to “the charmingly silly, overwrought drama” of it all.

On March 1, AMC Theatres management boss Adam Aron announced that  “before every movie starts … we’re going to show three different, 30-second Nicole Kidman commercials …  on a rotating basis”.

The spots are not “new ads or sequels” but “never-before-seen-in-theatres versions of the original, iconic ad”.

But when the tweaked 30-second version returned to theatres – before the extraordinary premiere of Dune 2 – some fans were not happy.

The new cut is half the length of the original, it no longer has the same buildup or drama, this time Elvis and Avatar clips are screening, and most importantly, the ad’s signature “heartbreak” line has been edited out.

“Reactions on social media ranged from disappointment to outrage,” wrote media brand group Fast Company.

“It’s unclear how much of this negative reaction is genuine and how much of it is playful performance around a product of ironic fascination.”

‘No-brainer’

The commercial reached legend status when Saturday Night Live regular Chloe Fineman played Kidman in an hilarious “perfect” parody of the AMC ad in 2022, complete with exaggerated Aussie accent.

“AMC’s fluke went from pop culture fixation to a bona fide phenomenon,” adds Fast Company.

“It got a shoutout from Jimmy Kimmel at last year’s Oscars, inspired Halloween costumes, even sparked an SNL parody, portraying the ad’s hold over obsessive fans as cultish/bordering on supernatural.

“Not many commercials become popular enough to merit their own (lengthy!) Wikipedia page.”

Sam Herbst, who started The Kidmanifesto – a podcast devoted to discussing Kidman’s “films, wigs, and accents” – says an “ad shot like an action movie with swelling orchestral music featuring Kidman in a glittering silver pantsuit while spouting schmaltzy lines was destined to become a camp masterpiece”.

Both Kidman, who is currently filming erotic thriller, Babygirl, in New York, and husband Keith Urban, have spoken about the AMC commercial.

During an appearance on a 2023 episode of Criss Angel’s Talking Junkies podcast, Urban said his wife did the viral commercial “because she loves movies, we love movies”.

“And it was hard times for the theatres,” Urban said.

“So AMC asked her if she’d do an AMC commercial, and it was a no-brainer for her to be a part of that, never in a million years expecting that to be this cultural thing.”

A year earlier, in 2022, Kidman told GQ: “I can’t tell you why it worked or why it’s gone viral … but what I can tell you is that the reaction is a direct result of the number of people going back to theatres to enjoy the movies.”

Tweet from @CoyJandreau

‘Treason’

On the opening weekend of the Dune sequel, where director Denis Villeneuve delivered a cinematic sci-fi masterpiece with box-office receipts in excess of $US182 million, the Kidman ad was triggering for fans.

“I need whoever’s idea it was to cut the Nicole Kidman AMC commercial shorter to be held accountable … they need to pay for their crimes.

“This should count as treason,” wrote one X fan.

Another said: “The only regret i have about not living in america [sic] is never being able to see the nicole kidman amc commercial with my own two eyeballs in a cinema (and the dune popcorn bucket).”

And this: “By replacing the old Nicole Kidman AMC commercial, AMC has effectively broken our hearts in a place like that, thus fulfilling the prophecy.”